Bathed in Moonlight
by Dirty Chiban
Summary: Before he can confess his feelings for her, Sakura is bitten by a werewolf on a mission. Now her sire is after her. What are the lengths that Sasuke will go to protect the love of his life...twoshot
1. Chapter 1

_Those torn apart by the Moon…_

**AN: No, sadly I don't own Naruto or anything else for that matter. Because if I did, a certain upcoming couple would already be together! Oh well, until then please enjoy this two-shot! Please review!**

The moon. How many vague meanings and picture painting metaphors described its mysterious and magical wonders? How many ever changing fables and tales revolved around the lunar orb of light? The night light source was forever destined to be the antonym to its day time cousin. It was categorized as the guardian and eternal ruler over all of the creatures that emerged in the cool darkness. Many viewed the moon as a breathtaking vision of beauty ever changing in its daily journey across the sky with the stars accompanying it. The wiser few recognized the crescent and saw through the deception. Seemingly harmless, the moon could tear the lives of mere mortals apart: defenseless, innocent people who didn't deserve such condemnation. The moon kept its secrets well as well as the people it held power over. They had to. There was no other choice if one wanted to attain survival.

And for that very reason, Sasuke hated the moon. It had mercilessly destroyed any hope of happiness that he had struggled for so long to grasp. _No,_ he should rephrase that. _They_ had destroyed any sliver of bliss that he had wished for countless night, those _creatures, _self-centered_ heartless beasts. _

They had ripped _her_ away from him with snapping jaws. They had ruined the rest of her life. They had sentenced her to an eternity of isolation. Her dreams of finally achieved happiness had been shattered like glass on the barren concrete of circumstance. She was about to get her wish too. He was going to tell her. He was going to confess his feelings for her. It had taken him long enough after all. It had taken him three years since his departure from Konoha to kill the devious snake devil and his loathed elder sibling. He was finally allowed the luxury of showing the loyal girl of his dreams the feelings that he had squelched in order to reach his life goal as an avenger. But now, a truly unexpected and mountainous rift divided them. Until then, he was positive that nothing of _that_ nature was even possible or existed. Ignorance was never rewarded…

Their world had coming crashing down that night when the luminous moon was full…Team seven had been assigned a simple "C" ranked mission of escorting a man of unknown origins or intentions safely back to his home in a neighboring country. If they had only known what dangers awaited them this time…

The young male's name was Raul. He was tall and had tawny blonde hair. His build was muscular and the ninjas wondered silently why someone of his strength had requested an escort. He was friendly enough but kept mostly to himself. There was also something about him that reeked of a terrible secret. It was reflected in the way he carried himself. Oh how right he had been in his assumptions. They were three nights in when the fateful ambush had been sprung upon them.

There had been five of them. At first glance, the impression had been less than threatening. Sure, they were lean with muscle just as Raul was, but hey, they themselves were trained and experienced ninja. Five ordinary adolescents were no match for them, right? _Wrong._ Naruto had actually been knocked out cold in the first five minutes. They were not as they appeared. These guys were equipped with alarming speed that took the sharingan to even keep up with their blurred movements. Monstrous strength acted as their offensive weapons so a single mistake was not allotted. Fifteen minutes later found Sasuke and Kakashi panting in exhaustion trying their bests just to stay on their feet. No amount of jutsus could even bring the slightest damage to these opponents. Sakura stood frightened yet determined behind the two males of her team acting as a last wall of defense for Raul. However, it could be noted that rage burned like an exploding fire in the eyes of the blonde and an animalistic growl constantly rumbled like soft thunder from his lips. Sakura anxiously wondered if maybe a little distance between them would be wise.

"_Leave!" _Raul roared and the ninja's eyes widened at the intense ferocity of it. But the five remained a smug smirk etched into every one of their faces. The tallest of the five stepped forward, silently demonstrating that he was the leader and head alpha.

He had messy red locks that blew about his face with the oncoming breeze. Hazy grey eyes locked on to the only female in the messy brawl and quickly glazed over with unrestrained lust. A singed jagged scar ran under the left eyelid in a vertical lightning shape. His body was lean with muscle, and he was obviously proud of it with his cocky stance. His voice was low and scratchy like he had had been yelling for long periods of time.

"I'm sorry old friend, but I simply can't oblige your request. But you should be glad. I've decided to let your precious sister off of the hook. I seem to have stumbled across a far more enticing candidate." His heated gaze had rested upon her and was unashamedly undressing her with his eyes.

"Such lovely hair. I don't think I've ever seen such a color before; and those eyes, they simply shine with such a fire. I can hardly wait to see what they look like after…" The monologue was cut short when a kunai from Sasuke whizzed through the air towards the red head. Arrogantly, the leader merely shifted his head to one side and watched as the knife embedded itself in a large oak.

"Shut. Up." Sasuke snarled. No one talked like that about Sakura and got away with it. He would not tolerate this creep's husky tone any longer. The leader simply smirked, though his subordinates let loose more of their strange animalistic growls.

"Who are you supposed to be, her mate?" The sudden declaration made Sasuke's eyes widen and in the back round Sakura blushed scarlet. His implication was a desired wish of hers, despite her knowledge that it would probably never become a truth. The red head caught sight of this and a similar growl erupted from his lips. Meanwhile, Raul looked over to Sakura in fear sensing what was about to come next.

"No!" he screamed his body seemingly immobile. Somehow, the distance had increased between him and the girl. Unknowingly, it was him who should have been protecting her from these enemies.

But it was too late; the leader had vanished from Kakashi's and Sasuke's sight only to reappear directly behind Sakura. Said girl trembled in shocked horror as his arms wound around her and crushed her to his chest effectively trapping her. She could feel his warm moist breath on her neck and she shivered terrified of what was in store for her. By now Sasuke and Kakashi had turned and watched with angry yet worried gazes.

"Sorry boys, but this one will be _mine._" In agonizing slow motion, Sasuke was forced to watch in estranged fascination as the lead male's canine teeth elongated into sharp fangs seconds before he actually sank them into the juncture of where the neck meets the shoulder.

Sakura's scream pierced the air like a kunai slices through flesh. The scream rang with saturated fear, despair pain and with the unknown loss of humanity. Sasuke remembered that night a little piece of his heart permanently broke. It broke for her and all of the things that she would have to endure because of one man's selfish nature. In that moment the Uchiha knew what true rage was as the girl immediately sank unconscious to the ground in a tousled heap.

"No!" Raul shout could barely be heard in the muted world of Sasuke's anger. He saw red and there was nothing going to hold him back from taking this man's life. In fact, he would relish the blood that he would soak his kunai in. The raven haired ninja charged the leader with reckless abandon. But suddenly, he was halted when the other four subordinates stood in front of him like a human wall. It was interesting to say the least that their canines were lengthened as well. Who and what were these people? Fingers deftly moved into the various hand signs that would produce a high level fire style jutsu but stopped when the human wall abruptly vanished from sight. Only the leader remained standing behind Sakura like a predator does its dead prey or prize. Sasuke glared and readied a weapon once more totally forgetting Kakashi and the others. This one was going to _die._ His time away from Konoha with Orochimaru hardened him so that he would have no qualms with ending this man's pitiful existence.

Despite the promised annihilation in his opponent's eyes, the leader merely smirked and began to step away.

"Take care of her for me Raul; I expect my alpha female to be in top condition when I return for her." Without another word, he was gone in a whirlwind of dust. Sasuke clenched his fists in his barely controlled fury. He was a jounin for goodness sake and those freaks had made him look like a novice. _They would pay._ Besides that, he had hurt _her. _He had marked Sakura like some kind of animal. Slowly, and guiltily, he made his way over to the unconscious female. He cradled her into his lap with the utmost of care and gentleness not caring ho he looked in front of either of the males. Upon inspection, sure enough two puncture wounds adorned Sakura's creamy white neck. Blood slowly trickled down like a river staining her clothes and skin. The raven haired ninja clutched her body close to his in a silent apology for being unable to save her from this pain. But now, from the look on Raul's downcast appearance he knew that this apology was not going to suffice.

"I'm sorry." The blonde had whispered over and over like a mantra. The two conscious team seven members wondered why this was. Sakura's injury wasn't life threatening.

"I've doomed her." This caught Sasuke's attention and sharingan orbs pinned him with a frigid stare.

"_Why?"_ The sneer meant that a clear explanation was to be given immediately. Even Kakashi watched him with a cautious eye. Raul gazed at Sakura with sadness and brotherly compassion. He knew personally the road that she would now be forced to walk. So it was with a deep exhaling of breath that Raul began pointing to the marks on her neck.

"That…is no ordinary bite. She was bitten by a lycan and will now be cusrsed forever more to become as one." The Uchiha's brows knitted in frustrated confusion. But it was his sensei that voiced the actual question.

"Lycan? What exactly is that?" Raul suddenly looked very tired and forlorn. His whole body radiated regret and despair.

"I believe…that the common term that you would use would be werewolf…" All three males locked gazes for a moment before Sasuke snorted in annoyance.

"Don't spout that foolish crap. Werewolves don't exist." Even Kakashi looked a little perturbed at the seemingly ludicrous explanation. But Raul remained adamant. His look was bitter and knowing as though the secret had burdened him like a terrible weight for many years.

"You think I'm lying don't you, that I'm just making all of this up…" His spiteful tone did not deter the obvious facial expression of well_ duh or obviously. _With an indignant sigh the blonde rose from their sides and walked off a few feet. Both males wondered what in the world he was doing but soon their questioning turned to entranced fascination.

Sasuke and Kakashi stared at Raul's visible trembling. His whole body heaved before startling changes were noticed. Raul's naturally slicked back hair seemed to blow in an unknown wind as it became messier and the strange thing was, shaggier. Steadily, more alarming things were taken notice. Raul's intense eyes glowed with an intense golden light. Pain or pleasure the two ninjas couldn't really tell but when his mouth opened in a silent gasp, the two watched as his canine teeth lengthen into the sharp fangs just as the leader's had right before he had bit Sakura. Human finger nails hardened and grew into razor sharp claws. Meanwhile, the visible hair on his arms and legs thickened into what looked like a light coat of fur. Ears stretched and became pointed at the tips like that of an elf. When it seemed like the transformation was complete Raul bent over pulling the back of his pants down just a little and right before the ninjas' eyes as the coccyx bone protruded down and outward bushy fur sprouted from it soon developing into a long wolf like tail. Raul let out a long sigh of relief before he locked gazes with the two konoha ninjas.

Both of their breaths had hitched and neither could find the strength to take that first gasp of much needed oxygen. _It wasn't possible… It couldn't be possible. _But there he was, Raul was standing there his new blonder highlights appearing in his blonde hair as he stepped toward them.

"Believe me now?" Sasuke was instantly defensive pulling Sakura protectively against him. Raul saw and ignored the pathetic attempts to protect the girl. There was nothing that they could do to protect her from him if he truly wanted to hurt her, not with being what he was. Still, Raul indulged the young male and gave words of comfort and reassurance to placate the male. Truly, if the raven haired ninja had been bitten then he would have been an alpha male for sure which would have been a good match for his girlfriend. That train of thought halted at that exact moment. It was heartbreaking really. Now, because of him, they would never be together.

"I'm…I'm sorry for what has happened, for…what has been done to her." The words felt like ton weights on Raul's tongue but the apology had to be given. It was his fault the girl had now lost what would have been a perfectly normal life. But now, she would have to carry the burden of keeping this terrible secret.

"Is there some kind of antidote?" Kakashi's weary tone was still heavily laden with fatherly concern. Raul couldn't meet their gaze. He could only shake his head.

"I'm sorry but…the curse is transferred upon contact. Look there where she was bitten, she already bears the mark." Everyone looked to Sakura's neck and through the dried and crusting blood a dark blue tattoo-like crescent moon was visible on her skin.

Sasuke wanted to wretch. It was too late. _He was too late. _He couldn't save her. How ironic. He had waited for so long just to kill Itachi so that afterwards he could finally be with Sakura the way she had dreamed. He had waited, hadn't shown her interest all of those years so that she wouldn't be harmed. But now, Itachi was dead and Sakura had been permanently damaged because he couldn't protect her. The feeling of self loathing and utter uselessness was threatening to overwhelm Sasuke. He was angry and bitter and steam needed to be blown with the giving of answers.

"_Why?" _His baritone voice was stricken with vulnerable grief over what he had realized he could possible lose. That he could very well lose her in this ordeal. He needed to know the reason why such an innocent creature had to suffer a monster's fate. It wasn't fair and he needed a reason that would justify this tragedy. Sasuke's coal black eyes beseeched him with a pleading so intense that the man had to look away.

"They…they were going n to take my sister and I…and I thought that you could help protect her from them. I had no idea how strong he was and I couldn't face them alone, for fear that if I fell to them in battle then no one would be able to protect her from them."

_ His sister... _It all made sense now. Those five were going to forcibly take Raul's sister so that she would be the leader's mate. But…but he had seen Sakura and …and changed his mind.

Silence permeated the air and Sasuke felt his eyes slide shut unable to face reality. He wanted to slip away and bury himself in the warm comforting covers of blissful ignorance. But Kakashi's voice was like a striking bucket of cold water upon his skin.

"Come on, we need to get these two to some kind of shelter." Raul nodded and helped Kakashi with an unconscious Naruto. With the utmost care, Sasuke rose with Sakura in his arms, numb to everything else around him. It was almost like a comatose state a state in which he had only once visited previously, that day when he had lost all those precious to him. How many more of his important people would be sacrificed in one way or another? Were Kakashi and Nauto somehow doomed as well because of this? Was he the real curse underlying these warped events? He was beginning to seriously think so as he trudged towards Raul's house that night…

Naruto was never told. Sasuke had been vehemently against telling Naruto what had befallen Sakura. No one was ever going to know Sakura's secret except for himself, Kakashi, and Raul. It was not something that should be shared with anyone. Disclosing such information was a serious danger to Sakura's life, and Sasuke vowed to _never_ put her in such a position again.

Sasuke was the one to do it. He was the one to lie bold faced and unapologetic to his best friend. He was the one who was going to deceive the innocent blonde. It was part of the burden that he would willingly carry since he had failed the love of his life. He would be the one to protect her and her secret from this day forward. He was the one to tell Naruto that it was a simple neck wound that she had received in the battle and that he shouldn't disturb her for the rest of the day. Naruto was wary at first with the explanation and had voiced that if indeed it was a simple neck wound then why it was that he couldn't go see her. But Sasuke had stoically replied that he was not allowed to see her either.

_ Another lie… _That was the farthest thing from the truth. The truth of the matter was that he couldn't bear to be anywhere nears her room when that life shattering news was delivered. He could not bear to hear her sobs. They would only serve to remind him of his failure. But really, right then he was lying to his best friend. The one he considered a true brother. How had he managed to get so tangled: since his hatred for Itachi. But he would bear this and Naruto would never have to know. The loud mouth ninja had enough to worry about already. He didn't need to worry over Sakura now too.

Later in the day, Sasuke had gone out with Naruto to spar. Sasuke had claimed he needed to relieve some stress, but that was only a farce. In reality, Sakura had just woken from her unconsciousness and she was going to be told the truth. Sasuke needed to be away not only to keep Naruto busy but for his own heart's sake. He knew he would have nightmares for the rest of his life if he heard even the slightest bit of her scream that he knew was inevitable.

Just before sunset, the boys decided to return sweaty and worn from their sparring. Naruto had found that for some reason, Sasuke had seemed immensely distracted but when questioned about it, Sasuke always gave a scalding negative and then proceeded to fight on with enthused anger. That fight with Naruto was therapeutic. It gave the Uchiha the chance to fight out the emotions that he kept securely bottled up inside. Those negative emotions could be relieved with every punch and kick that he delivered. In the end, he was left with a dull aching pain.

But nothing prepared him for when he walked into the house. There, in the hallway stood a tearstained and frightened Sakura. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy from the abuse of her tears. Despite being unconscious for so long she looked like she hadn't slept in weeks. Upon eye contact with her, the girl bust into a new set of sobs dashing from the room in an instant. Sasuke felt his heart break a little more. She was ashamed of herself and the creature she had unwillingly become. She was ashamed of her tainted secret. It made Sasuke even bitterer with himself. What could he do? What could he possibly say? That he knew what it was like to be tainted? No way. There was no way he could possibly compare the situations. The wicked deeds that he had performed had been of his own voluntary volition. That he could understand because his family had been wiped out by a madman. Still, the circumstances were hardly comparable. She would have to keep this secret way of life hidden for the rest of her days because she had to. That night, as the sun sank beneath the horizon, Sasuke remembered hating the moon and all of the pain that it caused.

That night, when all was sure that Naruto and Kakashi was asleep, Raul led the petrified Sakura out of the house and into the shelter of the dense woods. Little did they know that the ever protective Uchiha was stealthily following behind them in the shadows. Despite the horrors that he thought he might face, he was prepared to sit through it all and make sure no matter what, Sakura would stay unharmed.

Sasuke sat up in one of the highest branches among one of the near by trees being sure to mask his chakra perfectly. Down below in the small clearing, Raul spoke with Sakura in brief hushed tones. Sasuke could tell from the way her lower lip was quivering that Sakura was trying her best not to burst out into tears. A hand on her shoulder was a reassuring comfort from Raul. At the sight, Sasuke felt a phantom growl rise in his own throat. He didn't want Raul touching his Sakura even if he was only helping her. It only burned Sasuke more that it was not him that was able to comfort her now.

An up surge of chakra alerted the raven haired sharingan user that something was about to happen. Raul had now stepped away a few feet away from Sakura as the unnatural wind picked up around him. Slowly, the same transformation from man to half beast took place causing Sakura to whimper in fear and despair. She knew very well that that was going to be her in a matter of minutes. Raul was careful and patient as he allowed Sakura to examine him from a distance with his eyes. A gulp was heard when she spotted the tawny blonde tail that trailed out behind him. The other features didn't seem to faze her much. Still there was the question…

"Is…Is that as far as the transformation goes?" Sakura's voice was weak and uncertain. Strikingly sharp and distinct eyes seemed to soften as he shook his head.

"I'm sorry but no, on nights of the full moon we are unable to deny the internal call and we shift into the complete form of the wolf. On any other night, the transformation is completely voluntary, however traits of what we truly are when strong emotions are experienced. Although, being a ninja, you must be able to control your emotions with ease so I doubt that will be a problem." Sakura was silent despite the curiosity that shone in her eyes at the explanation. Sakura saw Raul sniff at the air before nodding to himself.

"I see…" Sakura was perplexed as to what he was talking about when she saw Raul double over in what she thought was paining.

"Raul!" Sakura exclaimed rushing over to him to try to help him. But a low warning growl stopped her in her tracks. When he lifted his head, Sakura gasped at the sight eve as his body lowered to the ground because of his transformation. His head and now body had now shifted into that of a wolf. It was odd and slightly frightening that this seemingly wild animal was actually a man. Raul cocked his head and looked at her a bit before throwing his head back and letting loose a loud howl.

So…that is what she would become when the moon was full. Sakura felt her heart shatter as Raul transformed back into human form. All of her fantastical dreams of her and Sasuke living happily ever after together were demolished. There were no fairytales of the monster and the handsome prince settling down together. Now she would end up all alone, having to hide from any kind of romantic relationship for fear of someone finding out her secret. When she had awoken, Kakashi and Raul told her of her doomed fate, she felt as if she had been sent away into solitary isolation. But the more excruciating hurt was experienced when she found out that Sasuke knew what she was now. She could just envision his disgusted and repulsed facial features when he would look at her. There was no way he was going to accept a monster. It was just common fact. And for that, she hated the man that mercilessly did this to her. He had destroyed years of hopes and dreams, and there was nothing she could do to change it.

"Sakura." The calling of her name ripped Sakura from her thoughts.

"Oh, yes?" Rauls's look was uncomfortable yet steady.

"So, are you willing to…try…it?" Sakura paused for a moment. She knew the moment that she began her own change would officially mark the end of her pure humanity. She would have to let go of her dream of ever being with Sasuke and the near impossible love that he could have had for her. But now as she looked up at the ethereal looking moon she couldn't help but wonder if the moon was crying with her. Because maybe, the moon didn't want to tear people apart. But she couldn't think about that now, not when the creature inside of her longed to escape from this bodily prison…

**REMEMBER THIS IS A TWO SHOT SO THE HAPPY CONCLUSION OF THIS STORY WILL BE UP SOON, PLEASE REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 2

**An: I really enjoyed writing this story so please review and no for the record this is not a crossover….I don't own anything so enjoy!**

_Brings Them Together_

Months had passed: several lunar cycles later to be exact. Each setting of the golden orb of light signaled the rising of the silver mistress of the night. Along with her royal majesty, so her forcibly loyal subjects followed after her. And so, for those months, Sasuke searched relentlessly for a way to free his beloved cherry blossom from the cruel reign o such a fickle ruler. There was also the ever growing threat that Sakura's sire would come in search of her in Konoha.

For that reason alone, Sasuke trained twice as hard as his natural regime dictated so that if he were ever to meet up with those five ever again, he would be able to repay them tenfold for what they had done. In strange retrospect however, the constant need to train had greatly improved his skills. With the exception of Naruto in his demonic form, there was not a ninja that he had come across that could even lay a hand on him. No wonder why Naruto was so strong. True strength was achieved when the goal was to protect instead of to kill. This was a lesson worth learning.

Still, the obvious and very large downside to this kind of strict workout was the fact that it was a road that the Uchiha again walked alone. He took this goal very seriously and often isolated himself with his brooding nature. Because of this, his relationship with all mankind suffered.

Don't get him wrong, it wasn't like he was some kind of bitter hermit. No, never. Team seven would never allow that. Naruto still remained blissfully ignorant. For that, Sasuke was most grateful. It wasn't that he was happy that Naruto didn't have to worry so much about their female best friend; it was because Naruto had become his escape. When he became overwhelmed or angry due to the long hours of hard work, he would go and hang out at Ichiraku with his best friend listening to his incessant rants about the wonders or ramen and the steps Naruto was taking to become the next Hokage. With a well placed "dobe", Sasuke would smirk and he would feel it was like the old days all over again.

His relationship with Kakashi had been repaired. You see, ever since Sasuke had left Konoha to seek Orochimaru's dark power, their relationship had been severely strained. Kakashi had no tolerance for betrayal. So, up until that mission, the two treated each other with a cordial tolerance that could be quite unpleasant if the two were ever forced to be alone together.

Their relationship reminded Sasuke very much of the cool indifference he and Sai shared for each other. The uncanny resemblance that they shared was outright creepy. Besides, although Sasuke knew that he himself probably wasn't the model for normalcy, but Sai…that freak was way past bizarrely disturbed. What with his lack of emotions and the strange obsession he had with a certain part of the male anatomy. _Freak…_

But when "the incident" had happened, a strange miracle had occurred. Kakashi had taken compassion or maybe even pity on him. In the hours that Sakura and Naruto had been unconscious, the two had shared a quiet conversation. Kakashi had expressed his sympathy. Oh yes, Kakashi knew about Sasuke's feelings toward Sakura. Even Naruto was beginning to see it. Perhaps the only one who couldn't see it was Sakura herself. And that of course was the problem.

Maybe it was because he had treated her bad for so long, maybe because of his could indifference it seemed that Sakura could not see what others could that was shining for her in the eyes of the Uchiha.

Whatever the reason, Kakashi recognized loss when he saw it. The only tragedy was how great a loss this was. Although he had not been bitten, it was like the last of Sasuke's humanity had died with Sakura's. No one else could see that she was his light. Without her, the boy would surely fall into madness.

So over those few months, Kakashi in his subtle way, did everything in his power to keep the four of them together in hopes that somehow a miracle would happen.

But now, as the unthinkable was happening, he held serious doubt in his heart. The proud sole survivor of the Uchiha clan was holding a bouquet of a dozen red roses with baby's breath in his arms. The boy was obviously taking the plunge and was finally going to confess his heart. Kakashi honestly had half a mind to go over there and stop the boy dead in his tracks, and tell him to put off this hopeless cause, that this was a fool's errand. There was no happy ending possible for them. Sooner or later, Sakura would grow tired of her secret isolation and would leave Konoha in search of her own kind. Sure, he loved Sakura like a daughter, but he knew she couldn't be happy like this. In the end, he stood stark still silent, because the majority of him wanted more than anything for this couple to overcome the impossible odds and for them to finally achieve their happily ever after. Goodness knows they deserved it.

"Good luck Sasuke," he whispered on the air.

His heart was pounding. It was beating so fast that he was sure that it was faster than when he faced off in the showdown against his brother or Orochimaru. This signaled that his upcoming battle would probably be the toughest of his entire life. He was going to ask Sakura Haruno out on a date. The way his hands were sweating profusely and the slight tremble of his body, Sasuke was sure Itachi was hysterical in his grave. The one who had defeated him was petrified and all because of a girl!

But this was different. Sakura was different. Ever since the _incident_ Sakura had eased off of her pursuit of him. She was still very friendly, but he could distinctly see how she was distancing herself minutely from everyone. Sasuke didn't want that. He didn't want her to end up like him.

But all of those doubting thoughts were cleared from his mind in an instant the second he saw that Sakura was sitting on the infamous bench. The mere sight of her halted him to a dead stop. But soon, his natural pride and ninja instincts kicked in. _You're an Uchiha, a jounin! For crying out loud, move!_ His mind screamed. But his body moved forward with only a slow uncertain pace. He wasn't ten feet when he saw her nose twitch and her head jerked upwards, her jade eyes locked with his.

Her senses. _Wolf senses. _Ever since she had been bitten, Sakura's senses had been heightened tenfold. She knew everyone by scent alone. Sometimes, he idly wondered what exactly he smelled like or what Sakura herself smelled like. Naruto probably reeked of ramen and Kakashi like whatever his book smelled like. It still shook him a little whenever she did that, but hey, it probably gave her a huge advantage in the ninja world.

But now he shook the annoying jitters off and began to approach her. Sakura's eyes were wide as saucers when he stiffly held the flowers out in front of her.

"For you," he murmured. If possible, her eyes widened further.

"W-what?" she inquired in disbelief without taking the roses. Sasuke gulped trying to stay calm. Sometimes; Sakura's behavior could be infuriating. Here he was, trying his best to be a man about this, gathering his courage and all and here she was making this difficult! Mentally, he took a breath. He shouldn't be annoyed with her, it was his behavior after all that had caused her disbelief. So…he elaborated.

"Sakura….I…I was wondering if …" At this point a light blush broke out on his cheeks.

"If you would…maybe like to…I don't know…uh, go on a…date with me?" Sakura's jaw literally dropped open.

Sasuke Uchiha was asking _her _out on a date?! The world was officially coming to

an end. Despite the entire positive cheering that her inner self was doing. Inner Sakura gave a wolf howl of a "Cha! Heck yes!", when Sakura froze.

"No…I'm sorry I can't…" Sakura whispered lowering her head so that her eyes were hidden behind a shield of hair. How could she have forgotten? She was a monster. She could no longer hope to be Cinderella. She could never be with her prince. Not when he was so normal and she wasn't. The few feet that he stood from her felt like an eternal chasm between them. Didn't he see it? He knew what she was right? So why was he doing this? Was this some kind of pity date? No, Sasuke would never lower himself to that. So that meant? That meant that he really did want to be with her. Why? Why did this happen to her? Did no one understand that he was everything to her? And now, now that they could finally be meant to be, she was forced to let go of him. If she didn't, eventually her secret could bring him irreparable damage. She would not let him get hurt anymore. She would protect him from herself even if it meant her heart would shatter from the sheer pain of it. His sharp tone broke her out of her thoughts.

"Why not?" His voice held a mix of emotions: anger, surprise, confusion, and hurt. When she didn't answer him, Sasuke threw the roses carelessly onto the cold hard ground and knealt down taking her chin into his hand.

"Darn it Sakura, can't you see that I love you. I always have. I thought you loved me too, so what the heck is the problem!" Sasuke huffed, his chest heaving with the rush of emotion.

In a moment, almost too fast for Sasuke's eyes, Sakura wrenched her head out of his grasp and slashed her hand at the back of his arm. Sasuke hissed in pain and surprise as he lurched back from her. Looking down, five shallow gashes glared back at him.

"That's why! I'm why!" Sakura shouted while motioning to the sharp claws that adorned each finger. The Uchiha was silent. He had never seen Sakura so upset. Still, he was not going to surrender. He had loved her for far too long to give up yet.

"Sakura, I don't care what you are," Sasuke tried to reason with the pink haired kunoichi but she would have none of it.

"Sasuke, I'm a monster. You're not. It'll never work. Please…just…forget me." With that, she tore off out of Konoha and into the woods, leaving Sasuke standing there alone.

He was dumbstruck and yet there was a clarity that he had never known before. Sakura did love him. However, she wouldn't be with him because she was a werewolf and he wasn't. That's what it boiled down to. Well, now he knew what he had to do. Picking up the discarded flowers, he quietly made his way back to the Uchiha manor with a small smile on his face. He would have to get a good night's sleep tonight, because tomorrow…preparations were going to be made…

From dawn to the next sunset, the Uchiha did not leave his house. The only time he left the premises was to go eat ramen with Naruto at Ichiraku, so the blonde would not be suspicious of his intentions. Nothing would interfere with his plan. He simply wouldn't allow it. Not when Sakura was involved. Speaking of which, he hadn't seen the girl since last night. That was probably for the best. There might be a chance she would know what he was going to do and try to stop him. Well he couldn't have that. He was determined to do this and not even all of the hokages combined could stop him. But still, he was cautious. After all, if he was caught there might be a chance that he would never get the chance to do this and that was not an option.

So that night, as he made his way through the streets of Konoha, he was alert to everything possible. It was ironic how much this resembled when he left Konoha the first time. Only then, he was young, self centered, and completely stupid. Ok, so not much had changed, but this time his mission was not for himself. He was going to return, and now, at the famous bench, someone other than Sakura was waiting for him. Sasuke stopped when Kakashi stood in front of the exit.

"Leaving?" The question was vague and calm but the underlying warning was unmistakable. His sensei would not allow him to betray the village again. Or, at the least, Kakahi would die trying. It was just that simple.

"Yes." His tone was unapologetic and unwavering. He was about to tell Kakashi the truth when Kakashi spoke first.

"So what madman are you seeking power from this time?" _Oooh burn…_ Ok he deserved that one.

"Raul." His cool answer caused Kakashi's visible eye to widen in shock. Sasuke wanted to smirk. His sensei's surprise was always highly amusing. After another second, Kakashi composed himself.

"What do you want with him?" The question was asked but Kakashi had a definite idea what his student was up to.

"The ability to be with her." This time the silver haired jounin merely closed his eye and a crooked smile appeared on his face underneath his mask.

"What, no plans of angst and revenge?" The playful sarcasm caused Sasuke to actually smirk this time.

"Naw. Besides, you guys would drag me back here again anyways." Kakashi chuckled.

"True enough. But tell me how are you going to get him to cooperate?" Sasuke's face turned solemn.

"He owes me." The unconscious activation of the sharingan was enough to say that the Uchiha had other ways of getting what he wanted. Kakashi nodded.

"So you're really going to do this? You know what this will mean for you." Sasuke locked eyes with him and nodded.

"I love her. I'll do anything to be with her." A genuine smile graced Kakashi's features along with unmasked warmth in his eye.

"You've turned out to be a good man. Your parents would be proud as I am of you now." This time it was the Uchiha who was shocked. But extreme gratitude shone in those onyx eyes as well. He gave the man he viewed as a father a deep bow before rising and standing before him. Without a word, Kakashi moved aside clearing the way and giving his approval. Sasuke stopped.

"Thank you." His soft voice echoed through the brisk night air. It was a thank you that held a thousand meanings and somehow as Kakashi watched the young prodigy slip out of view, he managed to understand every one of them.

Short puffs of exhaling air escaped Sasuke's mouth as he leapt through the trees at an alarming rate. An observer would only be able to catch a faint flash or rustle among the trees.

His mind was a one track course. He had to find Raul as quickly as possible. But even that thought didn't compare with that of his main focus: Sakura. She was the reason he was sprinting at such an insane speed. She was the reason that he was doing something that would be considered insane by most standards. But she was his reason, and she was enough.

Images of her smiling face flashed in his mind's eye. The most prevalent however, were of _that night._ He could recall vividly every detail of her transformation. He was sure it was something he would never forget.

It had started out slow. The hesitant look of concentration on Sakura's face meant that she was giving herself up to the change. Suddenly, she winced in pain. He remembered that sheer willpower was the only thing that kept him from exposing himself. But then…it had gotten easier and visible changes started taking place.

The tips of her ears stretched into delicate points resembling that of a sprite or elf's. Streaks of darker pink emerged I her long waist length hair. Her mouth opened in a silent scream and the Uchiha could see petite fangs lengthen in her mouth. Her hands unclenched as long feminine claws elongated and adorned each fingertip. A light fur sprouted near her elbows and on her calves. Suddenly, she hunched over. Sasuke looked away. From watching Raul, he knew what was coming next. What he didn't see was that his cherry blossom pulled her skort down a tad as the tail erupted and lengthened. Her tail was very long and was covered in fluffy pink fur almost mimicking that of a fox. The shallow sigh of relief signaled him that it was ok to look. When he looked down he was presented with another change. Her eyes were bright green and seemed to almost glow in the darkness. Despite all of the changes, Sasuke still felt his breath hitch. Even in this form she was beautiful. The only difference was that now she possessed more of a dangerous vixen like beauty. It was a beauty he would never forget for the rest of his life.

And it was that beauty that pushed hi to continue to press on into the waning hours of the night. But his drive and fierce determination was rewarded. Around two in the morning he finally arrived at Raul's doorstep. Loud banging knocks were ushered to summon the owner of the home. It was about five minutes later when the door was cracked and Raul appeared groggily at the door. He was still wiping the sleep from his eyes when he addressed the visitor.

"Who…" he began, but as soon as his brain registered exactly who it was that was standing in front of him, Raul's eyes widened in shock and his body tensed with immediate caution.

"What are you doing here? Why are you here?" Raul had a hunch of what this was about, but he hoped with every fiber of his being that this was some kind of friendly checkup. But if that was the case, then they would have sent the amiable loudmouth blonde and not the brooding raven haired Uchiha. No, this only meant one thing, and judging by the intense gleam in those onyx eyes, Raul knew he was correct. But what the ninja said next totally surprised him.

"I need you to do something for me." His deep voice seemed to ring in the silence of the dark. Confusion was reflected clearly in Raul's eyes. But Sasuke's held pure determination and fire.

"It has to do with Sakura." The lowered tone was a clear signal that he was referring to her lunar form. Raul's eyes widened before nodding and backing away from the door so that Sasuke could enter. The ninja entered without a word while Raul closed the door quietly behind him. In a few moments, the house was dimly illuminated. Raul led the ninja into a den where he closed the door behind him making it so no one else could hear. The two sat in armchairs facing a fireplace, silence permeating the air. That is…until Raul broke the stifling void that was building between them.

"So…what is it about Sakura that you needed to tell me," he began.

Sasuke's eyes flashed on him before returning to the flames that were now dancing on the sacrificial logs.

"She's…lonely…She's drawn into herself, pushing herself away from everyone she cares about because of what she is now…"

Raul stared into the flames absently, although the look of a familiar knowledge of past experience was also evident. The young man was clearly sympathetic in his quiet way. Sasuke continued on with a steady voice.

"That's why…I want you to bite me." Raul's eyes widened and he looked at the Uchiha like he had lost his mind.

"No! Are you crazy?!" Sasuke didn't take this well, but tried to reign in his anger.

"You have to." Raul shook his head wildly and stood up pacing around the room while Sasuke stayed seated although sharingan eyes were activated watching his every movement like a hawk. Raul flew into a rant.

"Why?! Why would you ask that of me? Why would you want a curse?!" Sasuke's

Simple answer was enough to stop the other boy in his tracks.

"Because I love her…and I'll do anything to be with her." Raul halted and studied the ninja for a long time while the Uchiha was faithful to endure the scrutiny. He must have found something he was looking for because Raul nodded to himself and looked away.

"You love her that much…that you would give up everything just to be with her?"

"Yes. She's everything to me." While his response lacked emotion the other boy knew better.

"Why? You're more than strong enough to protect her from any common enemy."

"I want to be able to protect her from anything. I don't want her to be alone anymore…I want to…understand everything about her. And the only way I'll be able to know is if you bite me." Raul looked as if something was warring within him.

"You understand there is no cure for this. Any children you have will bear this curse as well." Sasuke nodded solemnly. He had pondered this over before. But Sakura who was who he wanted to be with. There would never be anyone else. Raul gazed at the raven haired ninja for a long time before he sighed.

"Alright…" his voice came out in a whisper. Sasuke's eyes returned to their ebony hue as he let out a relieved sigh. He was going to get his wish. He was finally going to be with Sakura. He was going to experience what she felt. She wouldn't have to be alone anymore.

In a graceful motion, Sasuke rose from the plush chair and walked purposely over to where Raul was standing in front of the fireplace. Raul didn't look at him, he simply gazed into the flames like he was mentally distracting himself from the upcoming act he was to perform.

"Are you sure about this?" This was the last chance to bail out. It was the last chance to save and maintain his humanity. But the thought of it was immediately dismissed from his mind. Sakura was his humanity. Without her, he really was nothing more than a heartless beast.

"Yes, I've never been more sure about anything in my entire life." Sasuke answered with a firm resolution. Raul's eyes closed and he nodded in comprehension. However, when Raul looked up at him again it was now bright amber orbs that locked with his.

"Where do you want me to do it?" Upon opening his mouth, Sasuke could clearly spot the pearly white fangs. Fangs that he too would soon possess. The Uchiha heir rolled up his sleeve and revealed his upper arm. He pointed a few inches below the top of his shoulder.

"There." Under normal circumstances he would have wanted to be bitten at the juncture of where the neck meets the shoulder, but after the curse mark, he just couldn't. Although the snake sannin was dead by his hand, and the curse mark had vanished, it would still be a reminder of his dark past. Being bitten was not going to be a curse; it was his choice, his blessing, his way to be with Sakura. Whenever, he would see the mark left by this, he wanted to think only of his love for Sakura.

There was a brief nod and then Sasuke watched as in what seemed like slow motion as Raul leaned down deliberately slow and sank his fangs into the spot Sasuke had indicated. The Uchiha winced and let out a hiss of pain. It was like nothing he had ever felt before. As Raul's fangs had pierced his skin, a burning flame of ice flew through his veins. The sensation of burning and freezing simultaneously was enough to make him lose all consciousness in a matter of moments. But as the darkness enveloped him, all he could think about was that now he could be with Sakura.

"….wa…u…wake...wake up" Soon the annoying calls were being accompanied with bothersome tugs at the cozy blanket that he was so comfortably wrapped up in. Wait….blanket? Since when was he in a blanket? Reality then set in. Oh…that's right. Raul had bitten him. Wait, Raul had bitten him. Then that meant…

Immediately, he looked at his upper right arm. There imprinted on his skin like that of a common tattoo was "the mark," the mark of the werewolf. The small clack crescent mark looked like that of an ordinary tattoo. Bur Sasuke knew better.

Already, he could distinguish how his senses had been strengthened tenfold. His vision was like that of how a person who has worn glasses their entire life has just received perfect vision. Everything was much clearer and brighter. Even the quality of the colors had increased.

His sense of smell. The second he took in breath a myriad of scents assaulted his nose. From the stale odor of foods past cooked to the scent of slight sweat mixed in with the natural musk that was Raul.

Even his sense of touch made his skin hypersensitive to the blanket that was covering him.

"So…you're finally awake." Yep, definitely the sense of hearing was doubled. Raul's soft voice sounded almost like a shout in the tender ears of the Uchiha. So this was what Sakura dealt with on a daily basis. How she kept up such a perfect façade was a feat to Sasuke. There were no indications of the true abilities she possessed. Not even the minutest of mistakes had been made. She possessed amazing mental, physical, and emotional strength. And for that reason, he fell a bit more in love with her which reminded him that he needed to get back to her now. There was no reason to be kept apart any longer. Sasuke rose with a fluid elegance only rivaled by felines.

"Whoa, wait a minute, where are you going?" Raul called when he saw him heading for the door.

"Home," was his only answer. Raul's brow furrowed in confusion.

"But I haven't told you how to control your abilities yet!" Sasuke stopped for a brief moment .There was a pause of silence before he spoke.

"I want Sakura to be the one to teach me about this." Raul understood completely in an instant. Sasuke had become a werewolf for Sakura. He did it so that he could finally be with her. So it was understandable that this kind of training was something that he wanted to share with her alone. Raul smiled. He really did love her. Amazing.

"Alright then, I won't keep you any longer. Go to her. Sasuke's shoulders visibly tensed for a second but then relaxed. He turned and bowed before Raul and then locked gazes with him.

"Thank you," was all he said, but it was enough. The message of immense gratitude had been conveyed. Raul nodded and watched as the Uchiha slipped out of his house without a sound. Raul had no doubt that "happily ever after" awaited the star crossed lovers.

Leaping from tree limb to tree limb was pure exhilaration. Sasuke had never felt anything like it before. Every sense was heightened to such a degree that it felt like he was in some kind of euphoria instead of reality. He was almost soaring. He was the essence of speed and grace. He had traveled the distance in half the time. He _loved_ it. He lived for it. Was this what Sakura felt all of the time? _Wow…_It really must have been isolating not to be able to relate to anyone what she experienced. But times had changed. He could share this with her now. It was a secret intimacy that only the two could have.

But suddenly, as he was nearing the woods that surrounded Konoha, he caught scent of her. Ok so he had lied before. Sakura's scent had been burned into the recesses of his mind. She smelled of gardenia flowers and honeysuckle blossoms combined. Her aroma was sweet and intoxicating. Even with human dulled senses he couldn't get enough. And now, her scent was like a drug which called him to her. How he longed to bury his nose in her silky tresses and drown in that scent.

But there was a definite problem. There was a fierce spike in her scent. It was a pungent smell that Sasuke instinctually recognized as fear. His eyes narrowed. What was the cause of it? Who would hurt her in Konoha?

That's when he picked up five unfamiliar scents. _Five. _Sakura's fear. Something that could bring Sakura the werewolf fear. It only meant one thing. Sasuke's lip lifted into a snarl and a foreign but natural animalistic growl erupted from his lips. Sasuke welcomed his more bestial side with open arms. Judgment day had finally come and now vengeance was to be his. _No one_ messed with Sakura and didn't reap the consequences of his wrath.

Meanwhile, Sakura's heart was beating in pure terror. Her breath came out in short pants. Now in her were form, she found herself surrounded by the infamous five, their leader circling her like coveted prey. She had entered the woods at dusk being that this was the night of the full moon. However, immediately she found herself desperately wanting the safety of her village. The five werewolves from a few months ago had surrounded her and was herding her deeper into the shadows of the wood and away from any chance of escape. Besides, it wasn't like she could call for help. One look at her right now and they would know her secret. Sure, she could revert back to her human form now, but soon, the moon would rise and she would be forced to turn back into her were form. And right now, she needed the enhanced abilities that this form afforded her.

It wasn't that she couldn't fight. Oh no, being a kunoichi and the hokage's apprentice awarded her many combat skills. But the problem was, was that there were five of them and one of her, not to mention that they had honed their werewolf skills, granting them amazing speed. Right now, she could only defend against their attacks. Sakura knew it was only a matter of time before her chakra was depleted and then she would fall into their hands. And when that happened, she was sure she would never see the ones she cared about again: Kakashi, Naruto…_Sasuke…_

Thirty minutes later they made their move. The four distracted Sakura long enough for the leader to sneak up behind her and hold a kunai to her neck.

"So feisty and fierce. You will make me a fine mate indeed." With that, Sakura froze as this hot rough tongue ran down along her neck. Sakura wanted to cry and throw up all at the same time. Her monstrous strength was nothing when the flick of a wrist and her life would be ended. Sakura whimpered. How did she manage to get herself into these situations? She wasn't weak anymore! She had become strong for _him._ And now, not even Sasuke was here to save her.

"_Let. Her. Go." _ Sakura's jade eyes went impossibly large. He was here. Everyone watched in amazement as the infamous Uchiha emerged from the trees.

"Sasuke!" she exclaimed in both joy and worry. She was more than happy to see him but Sasuke was still no match for his bestial opponents. However, something in his scent had changed something that she didn't quite recognize. It was some kind of woodsy musk that was familiar to her five assailants.

The leader wasn't fazed a bit by this new appearance and openly smirked.

"Oh, it the wannabe Romeo who wants to save his Juliet, how sad that he hasn't learned his lesson yet." The leader ran his nose agonizingly slow. He stopped at the juncture where the neck meets the shoulder. He peered at the challenging male with a taunting glance.

"You have forgotten that this girl…_is mine."_ Just as he muttered those self-condemning last words the full moon finally became visible in the night sky. Everyone watched in awe and shock as the most entrancing transformation began.

Sasuke felt like fire was flowing through his veins. So it was finally happening. The beast within him was awakening. He could feel the flood of up-surging power that was rising up within him. His heart was racing with the knowledge that the change was upon him now. Part of him wished that he could have talked to Sakura first, but at the same time maybe this was good because the sight would be more than enough of an explanation.

The first tingles of the change rushed over him. A hiss escaped from behind clenched teeth. So this was what Sakura felt every time she shifted forms. It was a painful pleasure that bordered on euphoric. At first, Sasuke could feel as his fingernails grew at an alarming rate, harden, and narrow into razor sharp pointed claws. Despite the pleasure, there was also a large amount of pain. This caused him to bend over and let out a silent scream. However, this was beneficial because as he opened his mouth his canines lengthened into feral looking fangs. All the while tufts of fur covered the area directly above his elbows and the backs of his calves. The most disturbing aspect came a second later. He could feel his tail bone elongating and writhing like a worm. Quickly, he lowered the back of his shorts an inch as the long silky black furred tail emerged. Ears stretched until the tips were daintily pointed. Unknown to him, dark blue streaks ran through the messy black spikes of hair. An unexpected effect of the transformation was the activation of the sharingan.

Sasuke panted heavily for a brief moment. It was finally over and now he felt…_dangerous._ Crimson orbs glared spitefully at the fearful expressions of his opponents. A low growl passed through clenched jaws.

"_She. Is. Not. Yours."_ His tone was icy as he stood to his full height.

To say everyone was shocked would be an insult. They were dumbfounded. Never in their wildest dreams did the five ever think that this possibility could occur.

Sakura was in a league all her own. _He…he's…he's just like…me? Why…why did he do this? Could it be…Oh Sasuke…what have you done? _This train of thought ceased as Sasuke vanished from view. Sakura watched as their noses lifted into the air trying to scent out the location of their adversary. But it was all in vain as suddenly one of the five was pinned to a nearby tree, his outline covered in kunai. While the others looked to see what happened, the ninja infamous for his stealth knocked two more out by striking the pressure points on the back of their necks right before vanishing once more. The fourth was disposed of when out of nowhere a gigantic ball of fire came flying directly at him. It took all of his inhuman speed to escape into the woods nearby. Needless to say, his cowardice led him far away. He was not one to ask for death.

This left Sasuke and the leader alone in the clearing. By the short pants of breath puffing against her neck, Sakura knew her captor was afraid and good reason too. Inwardly, she beamed in pride. Sasuke was of the strongest ninja that were alive. And now that he was a werewolf, there would almost be no limit to his strength. Inwardly, she was blushing madly as well which manifested itself with the outward constant swishing of her tail. Right now Sasuke was fighting for her. The only other time had been when he had just awakened from the cursed seal. But now, he was fighting for her without being possessed by any dark power. It was like something out of a twisted fairytale. Her eyes locked upon his wild new form as he walked confidently out from behind the trees.

He stopped when he was about ten feet away from Sakura and his enemy. A low feral growl was steadily emanated from his chest. Crimson eyes glared with murderous intent.

"I will not say it again. _Let. Her. Go."_ His instincts were screaming at him that the one he saw as his mate to be was in danger and even more infuriating was that that male was touching her, a male that wanted her for his own. Sasuke wanted nothing more than to rip him apart. The new instincts demanded it. Sakura was his chosen female and no one else would hinder that as far as he was concerned.

Sasuke could identify the scent of fear radiating from the leader despite his failing attempts to hide it. But during the standoff period, the Uchiha discovered something amazing. His sharingan. There was something different about it. It was like there was a new power that was open to him in this form. Without further thought, he accessed it. What he didn't know was that he had just activated the mangekyou sharingan, the eyes that could doom an individual to the hidden mental dimension of tsukyomi.

Unfortunately for the leader, he was not privy to the knowledge that a direct gaze into those bloody orbs meant entrapment. So upon locking gazes with the raven haired ninja, he was immediately rendered unconscious, trapped in the world of Sasuke's tortuous intentions.

The leader's body slumped to the ground in an undignified heap. Sakura let out a sigh of relief. It was over. That didn't mean she didn't give his prone body a few well deserved kicks to the gut. The man had threatened her very life after all. Not to mention, up to this point, thanks to him, she had been isolated from her friends for months. But now, as her long time love stood across from her now a werewolf as well, she didn't know how to act. He looked so exotic with the new features, especially with the dark blue streaks running through his hair, and the way his tail swished in a steady rhythmic motion. It was all Sakura could do to stay still.

Sasuke steadily approached the unconscious man. There was a deep hatred in those crimson eyes as he stopped near the body.

"If you value you life at all, you will never even think of coming near her _ever_ again because next you meet me, I swear you will be wishing for your death."

There was no response from the man but Sakura knew without a doubt that the message had been transferred. Those words were probably echoing endlessly in the eerie world of tsukyomi. The man would never come after her again, and if for some reason he did come, she was sure Sasuke would fulfill his vow. Once made, Sasuke never broke his promises. And the promise he just made…Sakura shivered. She prayed for the man's sake that he decided to forget he had ever even met her….

Which brings them to this very moment. Now that the threat had been vanquished, the sharingan was deactivated and silence permeated the area like a thick blanket. Now what? Neither knew what to say. Sakura was wondering why he had become a werewolf, and Sasuke hadn't expected it to turn out this way. He wanted to tell her when he had found the right words to say. But now, he stood before her and had no idea of how to proceed. How could he go about telling her that he did it for her, so that he could be with her? What if she rejected him? He would still be a werewolf, and just feel like a heartbroken fool.

"Sa…Sasuke? Is…is that you?" She knew she sounded stupid, but she honestly didn't know how to proceed. Her keen sense of smell told no lies. The werewolf in front of her was indeed Sasuke Uchiha.

"Aa." Despite his collected attitude, it was all he could do to stay in front of her. Slowly, she began to approach him, but Sasuke had other plans.

"Follow me. We'll talk in a more appropriate place," he had said before leaping off into the trees. Sakura nodded and followed after him. He was right after all. It probably wasn't a good idea to have a heart felt conversation when there were unconscious bodies strewn about. It hardly served to set the mood.

Five minutes later found the two in a secluded clearing. The cool night wind whipped at the two who sat on large stones separated by a ten foot difference. Neither spoke, as both were too confused and afraid to start such a tumultuous conversation. How would one start a conversation in this situation anyways?

"Thank you for rescuing me." Years of experience dealing with the Uchiha gave Sakura the safe words to begin. Sasuke was about to say "Hn," but caught himself just in time. This conversation, in order to have positive results, would require participation on his part. This meant no brief answers. Those would serve only to confuse or discourage the poor girl. And those troublesome elements were definitely not needed in such volatile circumstances.

"You're welcome. Are…you alright?" though he was unsure, Sakura could easily pick up on the concern in his seemingly emotionless voice. Sakura smiled. How many were the countless nights that she wished she could talk to him like she was doing now. But she had never imagined that it would be like this.

Slowly, she lifted her petite clawed hand and stared at it like she was studying something fascinating, though her eyes had a far off glazed tint to them. Each dainty claw held such a deceptive beauty. Although delicate looking, these claws she possessed could tear through a full grown tree like paper. Truly, it had taken her a while to get used to this form, and to be honest, she felt ugly now in Sasuke's presence. For the life of her, she couldn't fathom why he would voluntarily bring this curse upon himself.

"Why? Why did you do this to yourself?" Sakura's eyes narrowed. There was a plausible reason.

"If you did this to achieve more power, let me assure you it's not all it's cracked up to be." Sasuke disregarded her cynical words however deserved they were.

"You." Sakura's eyes widened and her frantic gaze sought out his. It was a fantasy, a farce. The words that had just come out of Sasuke Uchiha's mouth couldn't possibly be real.

"Wh…what did you say?" Despite the fact that she knew she must have misinterpreted his words, Sakura needed to have the confirmation that she was wrong.

Sasuke sighed. Leave it to Sakura to make issues increasingly difficult. A small half smile graced his lips. But then again, that was part of the reason that he had fallen so hopelessly in love with her. His onyx orbs locked onto hers and he got up from his rock and walked purposefully over to her. He came to stand directly in front of her which made Sakura nervous. Her tail reflected it in the way it swished about wildly. Sasuke's eyes narrowed at it for a moment before Sakura caught on and froze. Sasuke sighed and took her chin making her focus solely on his face. There would be no more distractions.

:"Sakura, I became a werewolf so that I could be with you." There, now she wouldn't have any delusions as to what his intentions were.

Sakura's widened eyes became like glass with the buildup of unshed tears.

"Why," she whispered unable to accept the truth for reality. There was an unspoken emotion that was flooding his gaze and it was so intense that Sakura was almost afraid of it. Now his clawed hand stroked her porcelain skin with the utmost of care. He knelt before her without removing his hand.

"Because…because I…I love you…" His awkward confession came out in a hushed whisper. Sakura gasped and her tears spilled onto her cheeks in tiny rivers. It all made sense now. Sasuke had gotten himself bitten because he knew that she would never accept him otherwise. It was true, she wouldn't have. So instead of giving up on her and moving on to any other more than willing female, he chose to give up his perfect life, and decided to follow after her and join her in her life as a creature of the night. He did it because he knew she was alone and didn't want her to be. He didn't want to lose her because he loved her. The cold and brooding Uchiha actually held warmth in his heart for her. Love that she would freely return.

Sakura held the clawed hand close to her face while stroking his hand with her other hand.

"I love you too Sasuke." A grin spread slowly across his features and Sakura could see his fangs poke cutely out from behind his lip. However, that thought was quickly blown by the wind when he was leaning in his face toward hers. _He's going to kiss me!_ She thought frantically. However, Inner Sakura was throwing a party with a banner that stated "Cha! Sasuke is mine!"

But suddenly, Sasuke stepped when he was about a centimeter away. His warm breath was making her lips quiver in anticipation.

"Can I…kiss you?" Sakura heard him whisper. A frown marred her features.

"I…I might be bad at it." At this, a smug smirk appeared on Sasuke's face.

"That's…not possible," he whispered before closing the distance between them. At first, the kiss was made up of a brief touch of skin against skin. But in that instant, in addictive magnetic electricity passed between them and Sasuke found himself to be positively drunk on the taste of her sweet lips. While he himself was unsure of how to properly kiss since this was his first after all, but the more animalistic side, the wolf, knew exactly what it wanted. It had found its mate, it wanted to give her a glimpse of what it would be like if she were to accept his suit. With that thought in mind while he massaged his lips with hers, his tongue slowly slipped from between his lips and ran along the smooth surface of her lower lip. Sakura gasped at his action, her lips parting in surprise. Who knew Sasuke of all people could be this passionate. Not wasting any time, the Uchiha slipped in to taste more of her intoxicating sweetness and then went on to battle pleasurably with her tongue. There were times when she would accidentally run her tongue over one of his fangs and the boy thought for sure he would lose it. But she kept him anchored despite the new found bliss and soon the need for air called for a temporary ceasefire. Panting, Sasuke rested his forehead against hers, and for the first time in ages he smiled…

A few months later, things had finally grown back to normal. Everyone in the village of Konoha was more than relieved to find that their precious Sakura had regained all of the cheerful inner life that had seemed to be lost. No one with the exception of three people knew the reason, which would give a certain Uchiha a smug grin whenever mentioned. Team seven had been totally repaired and was probably one of the most efficient squads in all of Konoha.

There was only one major difference. It seemed that finally the Uchiha had taken a rather large interest in the Haruno girl. The two were inseparable and seemed to share a bond that no one could seem to understand. Many fan girls and boys shed tears. While the girls had resigned themselves to pitiful acts of hysteria, some of Sakura's fan boys had been more persistent in their pursuit of her. However, these particular men were quickly driven away by the very possessive Sasuke Uchiha. Some boys even reported to the ridiculous notion that the sharingan user had growled at them. Bah! What stories! The only males that Sasuke truly felt at ease with Sakura were Kakashi and Naruto…

"What!!! What do you mean you're not going to Ichiraku?! It's a tradition! You have to go!" Naruto blew a gasket when he found out the couple was not going to dinner after training. They always went! It was practically a crime if they didn't.

Sakura fidgeted as her normally brilliant mind went blank. Panic was starting to rise. What was she supposed to say, that she and Sasuke were werewolves and that tonight was the night of the full moon so she and him had to go into the woods so that no one would see them transform? No way! She stuttered a bit more before she heard the deep baritone of her love cut her off. Not to mention she felt the cool smoothness of his claws running on the back of her neck.

It was a sort of private game of his. For him to show certain werewolf traits without anyone else picking up on him, served him great amusement. Especially when Naruto was present. Sakura had begged him not to, but he couldn't resist. Whatever the case, she froze. Sasuke seemingly bored at the situation turned his cool gaze to his best friend.

"Dobe., I'm taking her on a date tonight. Go ask Hinata to go with you." Naruto instantly colored at the mention of the Hyuuga heiress. Turns out Naruto had finally seen the light and had taken interest in the shy kunoichi.

"Yeah sure, Hinata's more fun anyways," Naruto called running off. That left Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi, who was still reading that perverted smut of his. With Naruto's departure, he snapped his book closed and slipped his beloved novel back into its pouch.

"Alright, have fun you two." With one last wink, the infamous sensei poofed into a cloud of smoke, leaving the lovers alone at the edge of the forest.

Sasuke stepped away from Sakura and held out his hand to her.

"So what do you say, will you share the night with me?" A coy smile played on Sakura's lips and she sauntered over to him seductively.

"Maybe," she whispered when she stood in front of him she walked a little past him.

"That is, if you can catch me." That said she sprinted off into the woods. Sharingan eyes activated and a playful growl erupted out from a smirk.

"Oh I will, I will," he muttered as he chased after her.

So, in the end , Sasuke did not hate the moon after all. It had after all given him a bond with Sakura that no one else would have. And that is when he realized that, that which the moon tears apart brings them back together.

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